The
world's 59 species of eagles are found on every continent except Antarctica.
There are four major groups of eagles: fish eagles, booted eagles,
snake
eagles and giant forest eagles. America's eagles are the Bald Eagle, which
is a fish eagle, and the Golden Eagle, which is a booted eagle. Golden
and
Bald Eagles both reside in the United States.

The Bald Eagle(Haliaeetus Leucocephalus)
is the only eagle species living strictly in North America. It is a
fish
eagle that has a presence in every state in the U.S.A. except Hawaii.
The Bald Eagle can have a wing span of up to eight feet and can weigh
up to
15 pounds. It inhabits areas near large bodies of water where there are
plenty of fish to eat and tall trees in which to nest and roost. Bald
Eagles
are monogamous and remain faithful to their mate until death. Females
lay one to three eggs annually in the spring time, and the incubation
period
is approximately 35 days.

Young
(immature) Bald Eaglesare dark brown in color when they fledge
the nest at about 12
weeks of age, and the head and tail feathers turn predominantly white
in their fourth or fifth year. Bald Eagles can live up to 40 years
in the wild
and longer in captivity. They are primarily fish eaters. Other fish
eagles that can be found outside the United States around the world
include: White-bellied
Sea Eagle (White-breasted Sea Eagle), Solomon Sea Eagle (Sanford's
Sea Eagle), African Fish Eagle, Madagascar Fish Eagle, Pallas' Fish
Eagle (Band-tailed
Fish Eagle), White-tailed (Sea) Eagle (Gray Sea Eagle), Lesser Fishing
Eagle, Greater Fishing Eagle (Gray headed Fishing Eagle) and Steller's
Sea Eagle.

The
Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos)is a large brown and golden
colored booted eagle that can be found in mountainous areas of the U.S.A.
This bird of prey can weigh up to 15 pounds and can have a wing span of
up to eight feet. It ranges throughout the Western Hemisphere, Europe
and Asia. It builds nests on mountain rocks and ledges, and feeds on small
mammals and reptiles.

The
Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)is a splendid example of a Giant
Forest Eagle. It is a lovely grey, black and white bird with a prominent
crest. It is endowed with thick legs and massive feet. It is perhaps the
largest eagle in the world, with some females weighing 20 lbs. or more.
It lives in the rainforests of Central and South America, and preys primarily
on birds and various mammals, including sloths and monkeys. It builds
a huge stick nest in the crotch of an emergent forest tree. It is currently
a threatened species due to the destruction of the rainforests. Other
Giant Forest Eagles that can be found around the world include: the highly
endangered Philippine Eagle, the Guiana Crested Eagle, and the New Guinea
Eagle.

The
Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus)is an
abberrent, but well known member of the Serpent or Snake Eagle group.
Like other members
of the group, the Bateleur Eagle has a large head covered with long
feathers and stocky legs with short stubby toes - ideal for grasping
snakes. Unlike
some Snake Eagles, the Bateleur, which is "acrobat" in French, spends
a lot of time soaring. It may cover 100 miles or more a day in search
of food, which includes carrion and animals such as antelope, mice,
birds and various reptiles. The Bateleur is a large, handsome jet
black eagle
with white under the wings, rufous tail and back, gray on the shoulders,
bright crimson face and legs, and a black beak. Females are around
24 inches in length, and males are slightly smaller. Wingspans range
from
6 to 7 feet. The Bateleur is found in the tree and brush savanna
throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. Other Snake Eagles that can
be found around
the world include: Short-toed Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, East African
Snake
Eagle (Southern Banded Snake Eagle), Banded Snake Eagle, Crested
Serpent Eagle, Kinabalu Serpent Eagle, Nicobar Serpent Eagle, Andaman
Serpent
Eagle, Congo Serpent Eagle (African Serpent Eagle) and Madagascar
Serpent Eagle.